R. A. Lafferty would turn 100 on November 7, 2014. Where will you be and how will you celebrate? I don't know if it will be possible, but I would love to be in Tulsa on that date, and to meet as many other Lafferty fans as can also be there. Does anyone know what Lafferty's favorite bar was? We should schedule the First Biannual R. A. Lafferty Convention in a back room of that bar. We could all get together, tell stories of how we discovered his works, compare our favorite books, argue over subtle points of theology and interpretation of Aquinas, and in deference to the great man, drink.

What do y'all think?

Nat!

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:14 pm

Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:57 amPosts: 104Location: Bochum

It's a 15 hrs flight from Düsseldorf to Tulsa, that's a bit much. Although I always wanted to do something like that. I am sure I would have been at least of some us in the drinking part

kevinacheek

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 8:59 pm

Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 6:29 pmPosts: 45

That reminds me of a question we were jokingly exploring on Daniel Petersen's blog: What is the best drink to have in your hand when reading Lafferty?

Nat!

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:45 am

Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:57 amPosts: 104Location: Bochum

This article I linked in the "Interloan" thread has a prescription:

Quote:

In The Devil Is Dead he had a group of hard-drinking characters name each bottle of Scotch they emptied in an evening, on the theory that a good soldier who had done his duty shouldn‘t go to his grave without a name. And they did it in alphabetical order; if you got down to G or H, that had been a pretty heavy evening. We adopted that custom in a modified form, wine instead of Scotch and the alphabetical numbering continuing over time. Also, the winning name has to be suitable to the particular occasion. Over the years we‘ve gone through the alphabet several times.

Well, I favor a rich, yeasty, cloudy ale. I think the yeasty flavor goes particularly well with Lafferty's cosmogony, especially stories like "Hole on the Corner" and "The River's of Damascus." Something about the creative leavening in common between the brew and his writing. I also think the sharp bubbly texture on the tongue compliments the saltiness of some of his characters like Sour John and Garamask.

However, this raises another question: Do I drink enough to be a serious Lafferty fan? I've never developed a taste for hard liquor, and I average about 1 beer per week. Compared to Lafferty himself, I'm nearly a teetotaler. This bears experimenting. I should try re-reading portions of The Devil is Dead stone cold sober and then again after 2 or 3 good beers, and see which way it makes more sense.

Nat!

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 8:51 am

Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:57 amPosts: 104Location: Bochum

Coming to think of it, whenever I start drinking, I stop reading. It just doesn't mix well with me.

I doubt that I could finish a bottle of scotch in one evening, but I would try.

kevinacheek

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:58 pm

Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 6:29 pmPosts: 45

So you rarely if ever get past "Alice" or "Adelaide" or "Anja."

Nat!

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 11:05 pm

Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:57 amPosts: 104Location: Bochum

True, but strength is in numbers. If we assemble all active Lafferty fans together, we could probably get to Frida or Fred

kevinacheek

Post subject: Re: Centenial

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:27 am

Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 6:29 pmPosts: 45

We need more active Lafferty fans, then we would be able to reach Zelda in a single evening.

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